One Night
by Seigi-san
Summary: Sucky title, I know, but there ye go. Another MXM story, about their first time together. Updated to include some Neo XD. Much lime.
1. Chapter 1

( Okay. Now this is my first real attempt at smut, 'cause my sisters persuaded me to write it lol. I don't think it'll really be lemon in the strictest sense of the word, but there ye go :sweatdrops: It's based on my two earlier oneshots, 'Yoru', and 'Thoughts and Actions'. Hope it's okay! )

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Stretching out in the uncomfortable chair, Murrue winced as the joints and muscles protested, the cracks and pops sounding very loud in the small room. Slumping forward with a sigh, she ran a hand through rumpled auburn hair before reaching for the cup of tepid coffee that sat on the desk in front of her. She hated this job. Stress, paperwork, fear and worry - it all bottled up inside, bowing her shoulders. Like a lead weight in the chest. Rubbing her eyes to get rid of the gritty soreness, she leaned back in the chair.

Only to smile when she felt the hair being brushed from her face, and felt the kiss placed on her cheek. He'd invited her to come and work in his room, had made her the coffee, had told her stories to make her laugh...all that fear and concern that her role and the war brought could be dissipated simply by knowing he was there.

"I thought you'd have been asleep by now.." she murmured. Reaching up behind her, she curled her fingers in his tousled blonde hair, smiling again at his contented sigh. He didn't answer right away, instead winding his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. They didn't often get these chances to be together, the constant pressures and strains always present. So they made time for each other whenever they could find it, those stolen moments their own oasis of peace. Like tonight.

"I was waiting for you," Mwu said eventually. "But I bet that even though you're really tired, you won't be able to sleep.."

"How come?" she murmured, lulled by his warmth. "I feel pretty good right now."

That caused a chuckle. "I can tell that. But that's cause you're still sitting up, like you have been all evening. I bet that if you lay down in that bed right now, you wouldn't be able to sleep." Unwinding his arms from around her waist, he skimmed a hand across her shoulders and rubbed the tense muscles carefully. "C'mere..."

And before Murrue knew what was happening, he'd scooped her up from the chair and carried her over to sit on the bed. "H-hey!" she squeaked, flushing bright red. "What are you doing?"

"Relax...it's okay," he soothed. Gathering up her thick dark hair, he draped it over her left shoulder before beginning to massage her back gently, beginning at the base of her neck and moving downwards slowly. "See?" he murmured, kissing the crown of her hair. "Nothing to worry about.."

She opened her mouth to speak, but as he worked out one particular knot of tension, the words faded into a sigh of bliss. And instead of spoiling the moment with talk, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the attention.

Mwu smiled as she leaned closer to him. She probably didn't even realise she was doing it, but he wasn't about to complain. A definite advantage to being so close to her was being able to breathe in her scent - a mixture of warm skin, lavender and roses that somehow always made his chest feel tight. Finishing the massage, his smile growing at her tiny whimper of disappointment, he wound his arms around her waist again and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.

"Do you feel better now?"

"Mm-hmm," she replied happily. Turning around in his embrace, she gave him that beautiful smile she knew he loved, then leaned forward to kiss the tip of his nose. "Thank you.."

He chuckled, threading the fingers of one hand through her hair and winding the silky strands around his fingers before returning her kiss, only his was to her lips, and a little more passionate than hers had been. Murrue made a muffled sound of surprise, but that quickly became a happy sigh, her arms winding around his neck and pulling him closer as the kiss intensified. One good thing about the war being quiet for now was that they were able to spend more time together, their carefully hidden relationship progressing at a steady pace, and they were happy.

But lately, things had become a little...different. Like something was missing. They both knew deep down that they needed something more from each other, but were a little afraid of what that might mean. It was something they both wanted, yet they were wary of taking that last step. If things didn't work out, what happened then?

Breaking for air, the couple studied each other for a moment. She was smiling, but the expression didn't quite reach her eyes. Without a word, she hugged him again, resting her head on his shoulder. It was clear she didn't want to leave - and he didn't _want_ her to leave.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked softly, tracing patterns on her back through the thin fabric of her T-shirt. "We won't be able to undo this, you know.."

"I know," she replied, lifting her head to gaze at him again. "But even if things don't work out, I wouldn't regret it. Would you?"

Before Mwu could form a coherent reply, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him again. Taken aback at first, he nonetheless recovered quickly, returning the exchange with just as much passion. _No, I wouldn't regret it. Even if what we have together doesn't last, I'd never regret any of it. _

When the kiss finally broke, he had to grin as she unzipped his uniform jacket and pushed it from his shoulders. "There," she said softly, cheeks pinking. "Now we match." Her own jacket hung on the back of the chair behind the desk where she'd discarded it while working.

"We do," he admitted, tracing her features gently with a fingertip. "But what about now?" Reaching down, he grasped the hem of her T-shirt before carefully lifting it up and over her head.

"Wow.."

"What do you mean, 'wow'?" Murrue huffed, cheeks crimson.

"You're beautiful," he replied softly, catching her arms as she tried to fold them across her chest. "So don't hide it." She was almost scarlet in the face with embarrassment, amber eyes trained on her lap until he tilted her chin up with a finger. "I mean it. Don't ever get embarrassed at the truth."

She smiled a little and nodded, though still blushing. "Okay." Leaning down, she tugged at the blue T-shirt he wore to pull it off. Her fingertips brushed against the bare skin of his chest as she did so, causing definite goosebumps to break out (as well as a very audible gasp), and she giggled.

"Wow.." she teased, laughing again when he wrinkled his nose. "You're cute when you're mad.." Very carefully, she began to trace patterns across his muscles, a wicked grin curving her lips as he shivered and closed his eyes. "Do you like that? Or are you maybe..." In a flash, her fingers moved to his sides...where she tickled him mercilessly.

Mwu yelled with laughter, squirming around to try and escape the torture. "Stop it! Stop it!!" He could hardly breathe, tears of mirth shining in blue eyes as he struggled to get away. She was giggling, the musical sound echoing around the small room, and only tickled more when he asked her to stop. Gasping for air, he looked up at her. "C'mon, Murrue!"

Finally, she let go, though not before running a finger down the middle of his chest. Leaning down, she kissed him gently, the ends of her hair tickling his bare skin...then squeaked in surprise as he caught her hand and pulled her down to the bed with him.

"You're still okay with this?" he asked, cupping a hand to her face. She smiled and kissed the palm of his hand...and this smile reached her eyes, the dark gold shining with happiness and affection. For her answer, she leaned down to kiss him again. She was so close that her lashes tickled his face, and he smiled himself, threading his fingers through her hair before breaking the kiss. Murrue grumbled a little, clearly having enjoyed the exchange, and poked the end of his nose

"Crosspatch," he teased. She scowled a little at that, but her expression quickly melted into a blissful smile as he gently skimmed his hands up and down her back. And when his fingers caressed the back of her neck, she gasped, cheeks flushing pink. As he continued the attention, her eyes fluttered closed, her smile becoming one of pure delight.

"Oh, I see," he murmured. "You like that, huh?" Without waiting for an answer, he pulled her a little closer and began to trail soft kisses down her neck. Her thin fingers tightened on his upper arms at the rain of attention, a quiet whimper echoing in her throat as he moved downwards to her shoulder.

"I found your weak spot.." he whispered between kisses, and she giggled breathlessly.

"And what?" she asked, half-opening her eyes "You're going to take advantage of me now? I haven't even taken my boots off yet.."

"True," he observed with a grin, nibbling at her sensitive skin to make her gasp again. "Better do something about that.." Rolling over on the bed, kicking off his own boots, he worked his way down to remove the boots from her own small feet, tickling her toes as he did so. Murrue squealed with laughter, kicking in an attempt to make him stop. He chuckled, delighted at her reaction, and continued to tickle her, working his fingers up her legs. "You're more ticklish than _I _am..."

"Stop it!" she squeaked, though she could hardly speak for laughing. "No fair!"

"What's not fair? _You_ tickled _me_ first!" Ending the torture, he gazed down at her with a gentle smile, brushing fingertips across the bare skin of her stomach. "What about that? Does that tickle?"

"N-no..."

Quivering from his attention, she closed her eyes as he continued to wisp his touch across her stomach and chest, struggling to catch her breath. It certainly _didn't_ tickle. Every caress sent fireworks through her, making her whole body tingle - and when she felt him tug at the zipper of her skirt, she simply smiled. Cracking her eyes open just a fraction, she wiggled her hips a little to help him remove the garment.

"Want some help with those?" she asked, gesturing to the uniform trousers he still wore. Reaching out, she made as if to unbutton them, but Mwu caught her hand in his and kissed it gently.

"It's okay," he said softly. "I'll do it.." Unfastening his belt, he removed the trousers...and got his left foot stuck in the fabric, resulting in him hopping around the room, swearing under his breath until he managed to kick the offending garment free. Murrue tried hard to stifle her laughter, pressing a hand to her mouth - but he noticed, folding his arms and frowning.

"What's so funny?"

But she didn't answer. Hand still pressed to her mouth, her gaze drifted downwards...and her eyes widened. "Oh.."

Clearly baffled by her reaction, he blinked, before glancing down much as she had. Then he grinned rather sheepishly. "Can't help it," he admitted, sitting back down on the bed. "I've felt this way about you for a long time. Does that bother you?"

"No," she replied, knowing she was blushing. Sitting up, she kissed his cheek gently. "Not at all.." _Why would it? If anything, it's the opposite. To know that he feels like that..._

Mwu smiled, bringing her close for another kiss. The exchange dragged on for several minutes, she pushing him back into the bed in order to deepen the kiss. He chuckled, the sound muffled, and reached up behind her to unfasten her bra. His touch was gentle, as was the way he murmured endearments into her ear when the kiss broke.

"You really are beautiful," he whispered. "More so than anyone I've ever met.." He tucked a strand of loose chocolate hair behind her ear before kissing her again, hands trailing downwards to caress the exposed skin of her chest. Murrue gasped into the kiss, arching her back and pushing against him unintentionally, causing him to groan.

"Please...don't do that," he managed to say. She could feel him shivering, and smiled wickedly, pushing her hips down again to earn another groan. Mwu gazed up at her, gasping for breath. "That's not fair. See how _you_ like it.." In turn, he pushed up against her, causing her to cry out softly at the intense feelings that shot through her. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his shoulder, breathing in his scent in an attempt to calm herself, and never noticed when he carefully removed her stockings.

"I always wanted to see your legs," he whispered, kissing her neck. "Just as perfect as the rest of you.." Murrue lifted her head to gaze at him hazily, seeing her own desire reflected in his eyes. She wanted this - wanted _him_, and knew he understood. And when he switched positions, rolling over on the bed, she just smiled and nodded.

Removing the rest of their clothing, he kissed her again before sinking himself into her gently. Crying out softly, she struggled for breath, fingers curling around the bedsheets...and he stopped, pulling away a little.

"Are you okay? I didn't...hurt you, did I?" His tone was one of worry, concern. "I'm sorry..."

"No.." she replied, opening her eyes and smiling up at him. "Don't worry.." Curling her arms around his neck, she brought him close again, kissing the tip of his nose. "Please.."

Nodding with a smile of his own, he began the pace, movements slow and gentle. She could feel his weight, the coolness of the sheets, the slickness of his sweat-soaked skin...but most of all she could feel him, and the sensations that were flooding through her. They were so intense that she could only hold onto him, her fingernails leaving tiny crescent marks in the skin of his back. And when he kissed her, she accepted wholeheartedly, winding her legs around his waist to bring him closer.

"God, Murrue..." he gasped, and she prised open her eyes to gaze up at him. His own eyes were closed, but they opened a little when she brushed a hand against his cheek. He managed a smile, pressing kisses to her neck and chest and murmuring endearments as they continued to move together slowly. Eventually, the sensations and feelings became too much to bear, and she pressed her head back into the pillow, arching her back and crying out his name as the pleasure flooded through her.

Mwu groaned, collapsing onto the bed beside her and gasping for breath. She smiled a little, letting him rest his head on her shoulder and stroking his hair to calm him. "Thank you..." she murmured.

He raised his head to smile himself, kissing her gently. "You don't have to thank me," he replied. "Just let me stick by you, okay?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way..." Drowsy now, she yawned a little, wrinkling her nose as she heard him laugh. "Don't laugh.."

"But you sound cute when you're sleepy.." Rolling onto his back, he brought her close, tracing patterns on the bare skin of her back. Murrue smiled, murmuring happily at the loving touch, and snuggled closer. As he continued to caress her, her amber eyes fluttered closed, and she drifted off to sleep with her head pillowed on his chest, lips curved in a blissful smile.

"I love you..." he whispered, knowing she couldn't hear him, but happy to have told her. "I might not be able to replace _him_, and I might not always be able to be here for you, but for as long as I can be, I will be..."

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( No, it's not lemon, but that's okay. I'll leave the lemony stuff up to better writers.

Hope it's not too bad...please read and review! )


	2. Chapter 2

( Hokay. This be a sequel to 'One Night', my smut-but-not-smut oneshot from a few months ago. I just wondered what the 'morning after' might be like. Heeee. )

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She didn't remember the last time she had slept so well. She felt comfortable, relaxed - and although she felt tired still, somehow that didn't matter as much as it normally would. Smiling contentedly, she stretched out before settling back into the warmth of her pillow. It had been a very long time since she'd enjoyed a decent night's sleep, and she was determined to make it last as long as possible.

Eventually though, it began to dawn on her that things weren't quite what they seemed. As her sleepy mind slowly woke up, different things reached her senses. The feeling of being pressed against something warm and rather solid. The scent of cologne, soap and warm skin. The sound of breathing and a heartbeat that weren't her own... Prising her eyes open, she glanced around confusedly before propping herself up on an elbow to see better. What she saw - wasn't at all what she'd been expecting. "Oh.." was all she could think of to say.

He lay beside her, fast asleep still, head pillowed on one arm. He was smiling in his sleep, and despite her shock, Murrue couldn't help smiling back, reaching out to gently trace the curve of his lips with a finger. Now she remembered. He'd invited her to work in his room, had given her a massage to soothe aching back and shoulders...then things had gotten a little more serious. _It was something we'd both wanted for a while - but we couldn't exactly come right out and say it. But last night... _Last night had been wonderful. Leaning close she kissed him lightly before settling back down beside him, stifling a giggle as his sleepy smile grew. "Thank you.."

A little while later, Mwu awoke, looking around himself drowsily. He too seemed to realise that something was different, half-sitting up before seeing her there beside him. A broad happy smile lighting up his face, he brushed gentle fingertips against her cheek, the smile only growing when she leaned into his touch. "Hey, beautiful. You okay?"

"Mmm-hmm.." He smiled again, and nuzzled close to catch her lips in a tender kiss which she happily returned, winding thin fingers in blonde curls to bring him closer. Feeling his hands begin to wander, she flicked his ear, shaking her head when they broke for air. "None of that, mister. We have work in a while. Remember work?"

"I remember," he replied, his voice slightly muffled as he kissed her neck. "But a while is long enough.."

"No." With great difficulty, (and no small amount of reluctance) Murrue managed to wriggle free of his grasp, setting both feet on the floor - before he snaked an arm around her waist and tugged her back into bed. "Mwu! Stop it!"

"Really?" His face fell, expression almost puppylike, and she had to fight hard to keep from smiling and encouraging his advances further.

"Yes, really. I have to get ready for work, and so do you." His face fell still further at her words, smile not returning even when she stroked his face. "Please don't look at me like that. I want to stay here too, but you know we can't..."

_Not even for a little while? _she asked herself. _We don't have to report for duty for an hour and a half or so. We could stay here for a while... _Shaking her head again, this time with a gentle smile, she reached up to wind her arms around his neck. "Well...maybe just for half-an-hour or so.." Mwu's expression changed instantly, becoming the sunny infectious smile she could never help returning. "But not that," she clarified, tapping the end of his nose. "Got me?"

He made a face, but nodded. "Okay."

"Do you think anyone will notice?"

"Some might." She sighed a little at that, shifting in his embrace to nuzzle her face into his shoulder. She never liked having attention drawn to their relationship, which didn't surprise or concern him. And it was a secret he was happy to keep - although it wasn't quite a total secret. "Those three that saw us on the bridge might.." _Although I threatened them with everything I could think of if they ever breathed a word... _"And the kid probably will.."

Murrue smiled. "I don't mind if Kira-kun knows. He wouldn't tell anyone anyway.."

"True.." Kissing the crown of her hair he pulled her a little closer, beginning to trace patterns on the smooth skin of her back. She looked content and happy, which gave him a burst of pride...to know _he_ was the one who had made her smile like that. "I could get used to that.."

"To what?" she asked softly.

"That smile." She opened her eyes at those words, the dark gold softened with affection, and nudged close to kiss him. He knew he was the only one who saw her smile this way, not just the friendly expression she showed the kid and the others, but something altogether different. _Because she's happy... _Skimming a hand through her silky dark hair, he returned the kiss, his other hand caressing the back of her neck. He'd learned the previous evening she loved that, the knowledge confirmed when she sighed in bliss, almost melting at the touch.

"Please don't," she murmured breathlessly when they broke. "We don't have time..."

"Don't we?" He smiled and gently kissed the tip of her nose before sitting up and scooping her into his arms. "We could make time..."

Murrue shook her head, narrowing her eyes in mock scolding. "Not for that." Wriggling free of his hold she managed to climb from the bed, scooping up her discarded clothes.

"You're getting dressed already?"

Uniform bundled in one arm, the other hand on a hip, she cocked an eyebrow. "No, I was thinking of walking back to my room like this. What do you think?"

Mwu sighed. "You don't have to go yet, you know.."

"I do though, don't I? I have to get a shower and clean clothes. If I go on duty in stuff from yesterday they're going to notice."

He grinned. "Tell you what. Go get your unmentionables, then come back here. Okay?" She looked faintly suspicious, but nodded, slipping her T-shirt and skirt on before very cautiously opening the door and peeking out. Stifling a chuckle, he crept up behind her and kissed the back of her neck. "Go on. It'll be fine. I'll wait for you.."

But when she got back... "Mwu?" The bed was empty, covers rumpled - there was no sign of him. Huffing, she set her clean uniform down on a chair and folded her arms. "So much for waiting.."

"But I did." Glancing up, much to her surprise (and secret relief) she saw the curly blonde head peek out from the bathroom. "Here, c'mon.." He held out a hand. "C'mon, it's okay..." Smiling, Murrue took the hand, letting him twine his fingers in hers and tug her into the room.

"So this is where you've been..."

He grinned boyishly. "I thought it might be fun. Don't you think so?"

Hiding a smile, she leaned against the wall. "I don't know. It might be a tight fit for two of us.."

Mwu seemed to consider that, looking at her, then himself, then the tiny cubicle where the running shower sent steam billowing into the room. Then he grinned again. "Only one way to find out." Before she could react, he picked her up by the waist and jumped into the shower. Laughing, she made a show of struggling. "This is your idea of showering? I'm still half-dressed!"

"That's true." he mused, tapping his chin. "We'll have to do something about that.." Carefully, he grasped the hem of her by-now-soaked T-shirt and lifted it up over her head, brushing gentle hands down her sides as the garment was discarded. Closing her eyes, Murrue leaned back against the shower stall as his hands continued to wander, not in the least bit surprised when he slowly removed her skirt.

"And this...is your idea...of showering?" she managed to ask, gasping softly as his lips found her neck. He chuckled, continuing to caress and kiss her until she was almost dazed before lifting her up in his arms. The hot water, the steam, soaked skin and kisses - it all seemed to blend together. All that felt real was him, and the way he moved. Burying her face in the crook of his neck to stifle the noise, she held him as tightly as she could, fingernails leaving tiny crescent marks on his back. How long it was, whether an hour or only five minutes, she wasn't able to tell, but, biting her lip to suppress her cries as the final wave hit her, she could have sworn it had been forever.

Mwu murmured softly into her ear, gently stroking her back to calm her before setting her back down. He smiled, blue eyes soft with affection, and leaned close to kiss her lightly.

"That was some shower," he observed, and she giggled. _The best shower I ever had..._

"I'd say so. Shall we get washed now?"

"You almost fell asleep in there," he remarked later with a grin, and she rolled her eyes, sitting down on his bed to pull on her stockings.

"What did you expect?" she asked, checking the thin fabric for ladders or holes. _What with that, then the way he washed my back, I was so relaxed it was a wonder I was able to walk... _"Don't be surprised if you find me asleep on my desk later.." He laughed at that, leaning close to kiss the crown of her hair.

"You smell like my shampoo now. Not as nice as the rose kind you use, but I like it anyway."

Murrue made a face. "What if someone notices I smell like sandalwood instead of lavender?"

His answer was a raised eyebrow. "They'd have to be damn close to be able to smell that." Ducking his head down, he kissed her neck before growling into her ear. "Is there someone else who gets this close to you?"

"Would you be jealous?" she asked impishly. He growled again, and she giggled, ruffling drying blonde hair. "No, there's no-one else."

"Good. Cause if there was, I'd punch them out." Smiling and happy again, Mwu kissed her gently before helping her to her feet and walking her to the door, peeking out to see if the coast was clear. "All clear."

The two of them walked together toward the elevator, talking and laughing quietly. Other crewmembers passed, but seemed to notice nothing different, which amused him greatly. "What would they do if I kissed you right now?"

"Probably stare, then run straight to their friends to gossip about it. So don't."

He chuckled, pressing the button for the elevator to take them to the bridge. "But your expression would be so cute...oh, I think I know a way to make everyone on the bridge start talking."

She raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

Escorting her into the elevator, he placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned close to whisper in her ear. Words which caused her to squeak and flush bright red.

"Y-you do?"

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( Mwahahahahahahahahahaha XD more almost-smut lol. For my big sis, to cheer her up since she has school now.

Hope you like it!

please read and review! )


	3. Chapter 3

( Smut part three! Neo needs more love :3 )

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"I'm serious. Where are we going?"

As she'd expected, he didn't answer, just continued to tug her along behind him, her hand held firmly in his. She could clearly see the grin he was doing a very bad job of hiding, the blue eyes twinkling with mischief - he'd changed so much in just a matter of weeks it was amazing. He'd just burst into her office and took her hand, announcing that there was somewhere he wanted her to go with him, and no amount of protest had discouraged her. _"You've been working all day. Don't you think you need a break?" _Knowing he was right she'd just sighed and gone along with it, not quite able to hide the little smile at the thought of spending more time with him. He'd become her best friend in the weeks since he'd become part of the crew, always by her side, and she'd grown to depend on him a great deal.

Just like Mwu.

_Now there's a can of worms.. _When he'd first been brought here she'd been able to convince herself he wasn't Mwu - though physically they were identical, that man's bitterness and caustic words couldn't have been more at odds with the person she'd known. But now....now he was different. As though he knew she was thinking about it he turned and smiled at her, the gentle expression so familiar it made her heart skip a beat. _Kira-kun is convinced he's Mwu, and right now I'm having real trouble persuading myself he's wrong.. _Rather shyly she smiled back, knowing she was blushing, and he chuckled softly, bringing her closer to wrap an arm around her waist. "You okay?" She nodded and he smiled again, brushing a kiss to her hair. "We're almost there.."

"A-almost where?"

He pointed and she sighed, shaking her head with a wry smile. She should have guessed. "Colonel.."

"What? I'll behave myself. Cross my heart."

"I'll hold you to that."

The blonde man held his hand to his chest, attempting to look hurt. "Don't you trust me?"

Murrue smiled, resisting the temptation to ruffle his hair. "Yes, I trust you. Let's go."

The room was dimly-lit, the stillness only broken by the faint sound of dripping water, and as she turned to look up at her companion she felt the shyness coming back. Cheeks feeling hot she stared at her feet, only looking back up when he squeezed her hand. "It's all right," he reassured her. "Just like last time. So you can relax.." He'd been the perfect gentleman last time, even closing his eyes before she got in the water to spare her embarrassment, and sitting at the opposite end of the bath - she knew it would be all right.

"Okay.."

He peeked.

He hadn't meant to, knowing how nervous she was, but he just wanted to see what she looked like out of uniform. Last time he'd just seen head and shoulders above the water...So, one eye cracked open ever so slightly, he watched her tiptoe out from the shower. And he stared. Like before, her hair was bundled up under a towel, neck and shoulders bare, and she was clad in just a towel that covered only what it had to, giving him a perfect view of long slender legs usually covered by skirt and stockings. As he (secretly) watched she bent to pick up her locker key and he had to bite his lip to suppress a groan. _Now that's backfired. I thought seeing her in a towel would be enough....but it isn't... _Closing his eyes again as she slipped in the water he did his best to get his mind out of the gutter.

He'd been attracted to her, drawn to her, from the moment he'd woken up in the ship's hospital - she was so beautiful it was impossible not to be. At first he'd been angry at himself for feeling that way, and had taken it out on her, which he'd been trying to make up for ever since. _I know it's not my fault I'm not her Mwu, but it isn't hers either. Can I blame her for thinking I was him? For having hope? _He had hope himself.....that one day people would look at him and see _him_, not the man he looked like. Especially her.

"Feel better?"

"Mmm-hmm.." He heard the splash of water echoing in the little room - then felt some hit him in the face. Eyes shooting wide open he spluttered and coughed, hearing peals of giggles. "Now that's better. You looked so _serious..._"

"I was thinking," he admitted, peering through the steam to see her sitting quite close. She nodded and smiled, eyes full of a laughter and mischief he hadn't seen from her before. She was _teasing_ him. Understanding he smiled himself - and splashed her full in the face. The captain actually squeaked, golden-orange eyes wide, before rubbing the water from her face with a rueful grin.

"Should have expected that.." Then she splashed him again.

And that was it.

The rest of their time in the bath was taken up by an impromptu water fight, the two of them continuing to splash each other till they were soaked through. The captain looked to really be enjoying herself, face lit up with a stunning smile, and stood up in an attempt to kick more water at him. And lost her footing, toppling over to land back in the water with a deafening splash, disappearing under the surface.

"Hey! Are you all right?" Alarmed Neo moved to try and help her, only for her to break the surface with a gasp, coughing until her cheeks turned red. Her hair was loose and hanging in her face...in short she looked rather bedraggled. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and helped her to sit up, brushing the wet hair from her face. "There we go. Get your breath back."

"Thank you.." She coughed a little more then sighed, leaning against him. "Sorry.."

"For what?"

"Being childish.." She looked rather sheepish, face still reddened in what he suspected had more to do with embarrassment than breathlessness, and he grinned, pecking a kiss to the crown of her hair. Childishness wasn't something he usually indulged in either, but it sure was fun sometimes. He'd never heard her laugh before....she was usually so composed, and he wondered how long it had been since she'd let herself cut loose.

"Sometimes you have to be. Plus you have a cute laugh." To his delight the captain blushed, hiding her face behind a curtain of still-wet hair. "I'm serious."

"You sure know how to embarrass someone."

Neo chuckled, wondering why it was he felt more at ease around her than anyone else. "You shouldn't get embarrassed at the truth." She grumbled softly but didn't offer any further protest, just reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear - then winced. He was confused at first then caught sight of her hand, catching it in his own before she could hide it back underwater. "Why didn't you say something?"

"It's not bad.."

"It's bad enough." She must have caught her hand on something sharp when she'd fallen....there was a nasty scrape to the side of one hand which was bleeding. Before she could protest he lifted her up to sit her on his lap, tearing off a strip of a dry towel beside the bath and binding up her hand. "That should do for now, but you need to get it looked at later."

She nodded and smiled a little shyly. "Thank you again."

"No problem." Still holding her hand he kissed the fingers, smiling up at her. She was still blushing but didn't look at all worried, her lips curved in a tiny smile. How long had it been since someone had cared for her like this? _What she needs is someone to love her. To be the most important person in the world to that someone. I don't doubt that she was to that Mwu, but how would she react knowing that she is to me too?_

"You're very lonely, aren't you?"

The captain shrugged a little. "I have my friends."

Neo nodded, brushing his hand up through her hair. "But you're still lonely.." Her eyes fluttered closed at the gentle touch, and seemingly without her realising she leaned into his hand. His fingers wandered downwards, caressing her cheek then neck before wisping over the tiny bullet scar on her shoulder. She smiled, opening her eyes just a little when he kissed the scar.

"Is this to make me less lonely?"

"It might be. Is it helping?"

She nodded, murmuring softly when he began pressing little kisses to her neck and shoulders, and when his lips brushed hers to his delight she accepted, even giggling a little when he pulled her closer. _I was right. You just want to be loved by someone. And who deserves it more than you? _When they broke for air she blinked rather dazedly at him before settling into his arms with a little sigh.

This hadn't been exactly what she'd had in mind. Logically she should have pulled away as soon as he'd kissed her hand, but she hadn't been able to move. Instead she'd let him in, accepted his advances - and she'd been happy about it. It was very difficult to think of it as disloyalty to Mwu when he was so like him and besides...hadn't Mwu said he'd want her to be happy if anything ever happened to him? _It sounds like I'm making excuses, and perhaps I am, but he wasn't wrong when he said I was lonely. If he was here.....if he loved me, then I think that would be all right. _

"You have a lot of scars.."

The Colonel laughed softly, stroking her hair. "I do, don't I? Frankenstein's monster."

"Don't say that. There's nothing wrong with them."

"You think so?"

Murrue nodded, moving to sit so she was facing him. Without a word she ran a finger over the scar on his nose, smiling when his eyes slowly closed. He thought of the injuries as ugly, but to her they were anything but.

"That feels nice..."

"Does it?"

"No-one ever touched them like that before. Until I came here, no-one else had ever even seen them. It feels like someone cares.."

She leaned forward and kissed the scar. "Someone does." She made as though to trace the ones on his chest but he caught her hand and squeezed gently.

"Why though? I'm not him.."

"And that's okay."

"Is it?"

She smiled and kissed him. "It is." Carefully she began to run her fingers over the livid scars, stifling giggles when he shivered and leaned back against the stone surround of the bath. He clearly liked the touch, as was evident when she moved to settle close again. "You're spoiling the mood."

He managed a strangled sort of laugh. "Can't help that, I'm afraid. You're driving me crazy.." And before she could say anything else he wound an arm around her waist, his other hand reaching under her towel. "Let's see how _you_ like it."

"I did _not_ touch you there..." Not that she minded. As his fingers continued to wander she leaned into the caresses, eyes closing involuntarily. She wasn't able to help her reactions to him, the feelings so intense she forgot where she was, caring only about what was happening until inevitably it all became too much. Clutching at his arms she cried out softly, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry.."

"N-no..." Slowly coming back down to earth she smiled rather hazily, reaching up to wipe the tears away. "It's all right.." _It's just been a while since anyone made me feel that way... _Understanding what he wanted she leaned forward and kissed him. "It's all right.."

The blonde man nodded and brought her closer, very gently pushing up into her. He groaned quietly, eyes squeezed tightly shut as she moved. If it had been a long time for her, it had likely been as long for him if not longer....it didn't seem as though he would last long. _It's not as though I will though... _The sensations were driving her ever closer to the edge of reason, especially when he undid her towel to touch more of her.

"You're beautiful.."

"Thank you.." It was all becoming too much. The hot water, the kisses, the feel of him....she couldn't hold on much longer, and he seemed to realise that.

"It's okay. Let go.."

"What....about you?"

He chuckled breathlessly. "Sweetheart, I won't be far behind. Don't worry.." She laughed herself but it was cut off in the middle, becoming a shuddering gasp as the sudden wave of bliss took her by surprise. Hand clutching his she rode it out, collapsing into his arms when it was over, only managing a hazy smile when he tensed, hissing something she couldn't make out before sinking back against the side of the bath.

"You're amazing.."

The captain smiled playfully, amber eyes twinkling with real affection. "Thank you."

"You don't have to be lonely anymore. I'll take care of you."

The smile became tender, and she leaned close to kiss him. "Only if it means _you'll_ be less lonely too."

"How could I ever be lonely if I had you with me? C'mere.." Holding out his arms he grinned as she cuddled into them with no hesitation, resting her head on his shoulder. _God, he must have loved her. If he felt anything like I do, she must have been everything to him. She's the last thing I deserve, but I won't ever let her go... _The possessiveness surprised him slightly, but it felt kinda nice. _She's mine now, and I have no doubt that I'm hers. Now I know why I stayed on this ship..._

"We're going to be prunes," she remarked mildly after a while and he chuckled, burying his face in her hair.

"Happy prunes?"

"Very happy."

"Then that's all that matters."

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( OMG smuts XD. Yes, I was going to add an earwigging Kira, but the way it turned out it wouldn't have worked. C'est la vie.

please read and review! )


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